Strawberry gateau recipe

This classic French gateau with strawberries and cream, sandwiched between light sponge is the idea cake to spoil guests with.

1. Preheat oven to 180°C, 350°F, gas 4.
2. Separate the egg yolks and place in a bowl with 200g (8oz) caster sugar. Place over a pan of simmering water and whisk until mixture has trippled in volume. Remove from the heat and continue to whisk until cooled. Carefully, sift flour and salt onto the top of the whipped eggs and sugar mixture. With a spatula very gently fold the dry ingredients together with the melted butter into the egg and sugar mixture.
3. In a clean bowl whip the egg whites until stiff. Very gently fold the egg whites into the mixture using a figure of eight motion. Pour into a 20cm (8 inch) tin which has been greased and base lined with nonstick baking paper. Bake in the oven for 30–35 minutes until golden brown and the cake is springy to the touch and coming away from the sides.
4. Turn out onto a cooling rack and remove the lining paper. When completely cooled slice in half horizontally. Using the cake tin as a mould, line it with cling film letting it hang over the sides.
5. Wash and half the strawberries vertically, keeping a few whole for garnish. Whip the cream together with 100g caster sugar. Place one half of the sponge in the bottom of the tin. Drizzle the strawberry syrup over the sponge cake and place half the strawberries verticaly around the tin (flat side towards the tin). Reserve a little of the whipped cream for the top.
6. Cut the remainder of the strawberries into small pieces and add to the remainder of the whipped cream. Spoon the whipped cream and strawberries into the mould being careful not to dislodge the vertical strawberries. Place the remaining sponge half on too.
7. Add the food colouring to the remainder of the cream and spread over the top of the gateaux. Decorate with the reserves strawberries. Place in the fridge for 30minutes to firm up. Carefully unmould from the cake tin using the cling film and place on a serving plate.